Linda Sue Wenner

Linda Sue Wenner, a woman of remarkable intellect, warmth, and creativity, passed away March 24, 2026, in Altamonte Springs, Florida at the age of 89.

Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, she spent her childhood in Winter Haven, Florida, leading to a life that would take her across the country and around the world.

Linda Sue's love of learning defined her from the start. She attended Huntingdon College in Montgomery, Alabama, before earning a bachelor's degree in history and a master's degree in elementary education from Chapman College in Orange, California. She devoted decades to teaching, beginning in Lompoc, California as a reading specialist, continuing in Sedalia and Lamonte school districts in Missouri, finishing with nineteen years in Orange County public schools in Florida, where she shaped countless young lives with a passion for world history.

Her photographic memory and a lifelong love of books meant any conversation with Linda Sue included facts from one of thousands of books she read over a lifetime.

On December 15, 1956, Linda Sue married the love of her life, Warren M. Wenner II, beginning a partnership of nearly seven decades and countless adventures. As a military family, they lived at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California from 1964 to 1971, where Linda fell in love with the California coast, visiting nearly every historic Spanish mission in the state. It was also during this time that she earned her degrees from nearby Chapman College.

From California, the family moved to Knob Noster, Missouri, near Whiteman Air Force Base, where they lived from 1971 to 1979. Linda Sue quickly became a cornerstone of the community. She taught in the PREP program at Central Missouri State University and led needlepoint instruction for the Officers' Wives' Club. During those years, she also authored Knob Noster: A Little History of a Little Town, a labor of love drawn almost entirely from oral histories gathered from the town's founding families, and a work so beloved it was reprinted in a new edition decades later.

Another volunteer role that was close to Linda Sue's heart was her work with the American Red Cross. She was a lifelong volunteer and chaired the chapter at Whiteman Air Force Base.

After Warren's retirement from the U.S. Air Force, the couple settled in Central Florida, where Linda Sue continued teaching and planning for her next trip. She was an enthusiastic and widely traveled explorer, journeying throughout Europe and across North America, including Alaska, Canada, and Hawaii. Everywhere she went, she conscientiously took photos and notes, creating beautiful scrapbooks about her travels. She was also sure to find a market or art festival, bringing home handmade jewelry for her collection.

Linda Sue was a fiber artist of genuine distinction. Her primary medium was needlepoint work, gifting finished pieces to family and friends who treasured them. She designed her own original patterns, earned numerous awards for her work, and was a cherished member of Needle Orts in Altamonte Springs, Florida. Her needle and thread were never far from her hands.

She was a faithful member of Wekiva Presbyterian Church, where her quick wit, warmth, and hard-working spirit endeared her to all who knew her. Those who loved her remember a woman who was thoughtful, sharp, and passionate, who made every room more alive, and who never stopped being curious about the world.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Samuel Benjamin Wasserman and Sylvia Wasserman Cooper and stepfather Dan B. Cooper. Linda is survived by her beloved husband of 69 years, Warren M. Wenner II; her son Warren M. Wenner III (Linda), and their son Jason; her daughter Charlotte Wenner Schmitt (Scott); her granddaughter Mary (Damien), and their sons Lucas and Elijah; her grandson Michael (Shelby), and their daughter Maisie; her sister Dana Cooper Fitzgerald and her son William Bishop Jordan Jr.; and her brother Richard Cooper and his children Richard and Jennifer.